Harness-buckle.



- W. UTEGH.

HARNESS BUCKLE.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 22, 1911.

1,064,262. Patented June 10, 1913.

COLUMBIA PLANDORAPH (IO-.WASHINOTQN, D. c.

' TED STATES PATENT @FFTQE.

WILLIAM UTECH, OF SANFORD, FLORIDA.

HARNESS-BUCKLE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM UTEGI-I, citizen of the United States,residing at Sanford, in the county of Orange and State of Florida, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in I-IarnessBuckles, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to harness buckles or connectors and has for itsobject to provide improved means for locking the coacting clampingmembers thereof in engagement with a trace.

A further object of the invention is to provide a harness connector, theconstruction of which is such that it may be used for connecting tracesto the hames of harness, for splicing traces, or as an ordinary harnessbuckle.

A furtherobject is to provide a combined harness connector and buckle,the parts of which are so arranged that the trace will lie perfectlystraight and fiat when in use, thus permitting a direct pull on thetrace without liability of twisting or buckling the latter, or tearingor otherwise cutting said trace.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve thisclass of devices so as to increase their utility, durability andefliciency, as well as to reduce the cost of manufacture.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description,it being understood that various changes in form, proportions and minordetails of construction may be resorted to within the scope of theappended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof,reference is to be had to the following description and accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a combined harness connector andbuckle constructed in accordance with the present invention, showing thesame attached to a hame; F ig. 2 is a side elevation of the buckle orconnector; Fig. 3 is a similar view, showing the movable clamping membersupported on the pins and ready to be forced downwardly to lockedposition; Fig. a is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line H ofFig. 2; Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 55 ofFig. 2; Fig. 6 is a perspective view, show ing the clamping memberscomprising the buckle or connector detached; Fig. 7 is a side elevationof a modified form of the in- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 22, 1911.

Patented J une 10, 1913.

Serial No. 667,307.

vention, showingthe device used in connection with a spring snap; Fig. 8is a similar view, partly in section, illustrating a furthermodification.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the samereference characters.

The improved buckle or connector is principally designed for connectingtraces to the hames of harness, and by way of illustration is shownapplied to a. portion of a harness in which 5 designates the hames and 6the trace.

The device comprises co-acting clamping members 7 and 8, preferably inthe form of metallic plates having fiat inner faces for contact with thetrace 6, one of said members being provided with a longitudinalreinforcing rib 9 and a terminal hook 10 for engagement with the usualstaple or loop 11 on the hame, as shown.

Secured to or formed integral with the clamping member or plate 7, arespaced laterally extending pins 12 adapted to pass through the tonguereceiving openings in the trace 6, the walls of said pins being providedwith oppositely disposed notches 13 defining terminal heads ltpreferably curved or rounded at 15 to present smooth bearing surfaces,as shown. The movable clamping member 8 is provided with spacedtransverse key-hole slots 16, the contracted portions 17 of which areadapted to receive the reduced necks 21 of the pins, as best shown inFigs. 2 and 4: of the drawing.

Pivotally mounted at 18 on the movable clamping member 8, is a lockingmember 19, preferably in the form of a flat spring, the ends of whichare tapered and adapted to bear against the heads 14 and retain thereduced necks 21 within the contracted portions 17 of the key-holeslots, thereby to firmly clamp the members 7 and 8 in engagement withthe trace. The inner face of the locking member 19, at the tapered endsthereof, is preferably inclined or beveled at 20 so as to permit theinsertion of the finger or a suitable tool beneath the locking memberwhen it is desired to release said member from engagement with the pinsto effect the adjustment of the connector or buckle on the trace or theremoval of said connector from the trace.

It will here be noted that the construction and arrangement of theconnector is such pins 12 extending through the tongue receivingopenings in said trace, after which the plate 8 is placed on the otherside of the trace with the heads let of the pins seated in the enlargedends of the key-hole slots 16, the plate 8 being subsequently presseddownwardly so as to cause the re duced necks 21 of the pins to enter thecontracted portions 17 of the key-hole slots. The resilient lockingmember or bar 19 is then swung laterally on its pivot 18 until one endthereof bears against the head let of one of the pins, when by elevatingthe other end of the locking member and passing the end of said lockingmember over the head of the mating pin, the reduced necks of both pinswill be retained within the con tracted portions of the slots and thusef fectually clamp the members in engagement with the trace, as bestshown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. The pivotal connection 18 ispreferably'tight enough to prevent accidental swinging movement of thelocking member, the inherent spring properties of the locking memberpermitting either end thereof to be elevated so as to clear the heads ofthe pins when applying the connector to or removing the connector from atrace or adjusting said connector longitudinally of the trace.

It will be observed that the length of the locking member 19 is greaterthan the distance between the pins so that when the locking member ismoved to operative position, the ends of said locking member willsimultaneously engage or bear against the heads of both pins. In orderto remove the connector, it is merely necessary to insert the finger ora suitable tool beneath one end of the locking member and elevate saidlocking member until the end thereof clears the head of the adjacentpin, when the locking member may be swung laterally on its pivotal aXisto the position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, and in which position,the plate 8 may be readily detached from the trace by pressing upwardlyon said plate until the heads register with the enlarged portions of thekey-hole slots, as will be readily understood. The opposite ends of theplate 8, as well as the inner face of the plate 7, are preferably curvedor rounded to present smooth bearing surfaces and thus assist inpreventing said plates from cutting or otherwise injuring the trace. Thewalls of the enlarged ends of the keyhole slots are also preferablycounter-sunk to facilitate introducing and removing the pins and also toassist in guiding the heads of the pins within the contracted portionsof the slots.

In Fig. 7 of the drawing, there is illustrated a modified form of theinvention, in which the pins are shown applied to a plate provided witha spring tongue or snap 21, while in Fig. 8, the pins are shown appliedto a plate having a terminal strap receiving eye 22.

l/Vhile the buckle is principally designed for connecting the traces ofharness to the hames thereof, it is obvious that the device may be usedwith equally good results for splicing or connecting traces, straps andthe like, or as an ordinary harness buckle. It will of course beunderstood that the clamping members of the buckle or con-v nector maybe made in different sizes and shapes and nickeled, japanned orotherwise coated to give the same a neat, attractive appearance andprevent corrosion of the metal when subjected to the action of theelements.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A device of the class described including coacting clamping members,one of which is provided with spaced slots extending in a straight linetransversely of said member for the entire length of the slots andhaving contracted portions, pins proj ecting laterally from the othermember and provided with means for engagement with the walls of thecontracted portions of the overlying slots, and a longitudinally dis:posed spring locking device of greater length than the distance betweenthe outer walls of the contracted portions of the slots, said lockingdevice being mounted on the slotted member and having one longitudinaledge thereof adapted to abut against the same side of both pins forclamping said. members in engagement with a strap.

2. A device of the class described including coacting clamping members,one of which is provided with spaced transversely disposed key-holeslots, pins extending laterally from the inner face of the mating memberand having their free ends provided with reduced necks for engagementwith the contracted portions of the overlying key-hole slots, and aspring locking bar extending longitudinally of the slotted member andhaving its intermediate portion pivoted on said slotted member at apoint between the slots therein, and one longitudinal edge thereof atthe opposite ends of the locking bar arranged to bear against theadjacent projecting ends of the pins for clamping said members inengagement with a strap.

3. A device of the class described including coaoting clamping members,one of which is provided with a reinforcing rib and the other withspaced transversely disposed key-hole slots, pins extending laterallyfrom the inner face of the ribbed member and having their free endsprovided with oppositely disposed notches defining reduced necks adaptedto engage the contracted portions of the overlying key-hole slots, and aresilient locking member mounted for turning movement on the slottedmember and having one longitudinal edge 5 thereof arranged tosimultaneously engage the same side of the projecting ends of both pinsfor clamping said members in engagement with a strap.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature as in presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM UTECI-I.

Copies 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C.

